Brunello di Montalcino Il Marroneto 2015 (750ML)

96+ Points, Monica Larner, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "You just can't beat the purity of the bouquet here: cherries, red licorice, blue flowers and currants. It's all stunning. Il Marroneto's 2015 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a light garnet color with faint ruby highlights. The wine never veers from its lanes, sticking to an absolutely traditional and fresh expression from the appellation. It offers a lean to medium-weight mouthfeel with radiant fruit flavors-think pure cherry fruit. Fruit is harvested from a five-hectare parcel at 300 meters above sea level with calcareous sand and Galestro soils. These conditions lead to the aromatic intensity of the wine, and that's the main takeaway in this classic vintage. There is a moment of softness that expands quickly over the palate. These results are graceful and gorgeous....This is another set of amazing wines by Alessandro Mori. Like in the unforgettable 2010 vintage, these expressions from 2015 stand out for their extreme purity." 1/20.

94 Points, Ian D'Agata, Vinous: "Very lively red. Aromas of raspberry, blood orange and herbs. Sneaky concentration and complexity to the very pure flavors of red berries, blood orange and herbs. Tight with firm tannins on the clean, steely finish." 4/20

95 Points, Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator: "There is an inherent sweetness to this red, courtesy of the ripe strawberry and cherry fruit, complemented by mineral, tobacco and wild herb notes, balanced by a backbone of dense, refined tannins. Shows fine balance and length. Best from 2023 through 2040." 03/20.

98 Points, Kerin O'Keefe, Wine Enthusiast: [Cellar Selection]"Fragrant and loaded with finesse, this perfumed red features enticing scents of woodland berry, pine forest, violet, underbrush and a whiff of sandalwood. Elegantly structured, it's tantalizingly ethereal, delivering juicy red cherry, strawberry, black tea, licorice and a pronounced mineral note evoking rusty iron alongside tightly knit, refined tannins. It's surprisingly vibrant for the hot vintage and still youthfully austere, but that's a good thing as it shows great aging potential. Drink 2025-2035." 05/20

94 Points, Michaela Morris, Decanter: Il Marroneto sits just north of the town of Montalcino. Owner Alessandro Mori explains that the soil here is predominantly marine sand with micro-minerals from the coast, giving a floral rather than fruity expression. He uses botti (large oak casks) only for ageing, with some dating back to the 1970s - though it must be said that the cellar here is fanatically clean. The 2015 rings through with purity and clarity and is indeed decidedly mineral and floral-driven. Sweet earth, dried violets and lavender complement an underlying core of cherry and raspberry. The palate is tangy and saline with lots of substance, flavour and depth. Wonderfully textured with grainy tannins that escalate across the palate." 04/20

96 Points, Raffaele Vecchione: "Hints of cherries, almonds and black cherries in spirit in this vibrant red. Pressed raspberries to complete the olfactory bouquet. A light note of herbaceous in the background that gives complexity. Full body, integrated and silky tannins, completely melted in the wine. The finish is powerful and vibrant. Impressive freshness on the palate that gives length. The finish is tense and incredibly vertical. A different expression of Brunello 2015. Vinified in a conical wooden trunk and aged in 26hl Slavonian oak barrels. 39 months of aging in wood and 6 months of aging in bottle before release. Better since 2022." 03/20.